GOLU AT WWA: A display of dolls and figurines will be featured at the “Golu 2026: The Ten Avatars” community event on October 3 and 4 at West Windsor Arts (WWA).
West Windsor Arts presents “Golu 2026: The Ten Avatars” on Saturday, October 3, and Sunday, October 4, from 4 to 8 p.m., offering the community the opportunity to experience one of South India’s most vibrant traditions in a whole new way.
Now in its third year at West Windsor Arts, the event has expanded from a traditional Golu, where friends and neighbors come together to create and share elaborate displays of dolls and treasured heirlooms, into a lively and inclusive community celebration. This year’s Golu, “The Ten Avatars,” will feature guided storytelling, live performances of Indian music and dance, interactive art activities for children, and Indian refreshments, as well as a beautiful visual display of dolls and figurines that tells a story.
“We reimagined a traditional Golu as an immersive and symbolic art installation: The ten avatars of Vishnu are represented through symbolic masks, objects, fabric, and suspended forms, with the sleeping Vishnu presiding above them,” said Padmaja Ganapathy, president of the West Windsor Arts Board of Trustees and curator of the event. “The installation invokes questions and sparks curiosity about what the ten avatars are.”
As visitors view each of the ten avatars, they will be able to scan QR codes to learn more about them.
“The installation explores how Vishnu, the ‘Preserver’ in Hindu mythology, takes different forms to restore balance when the world is in turmoil,” said Ganapathy. “Together, the avatars represent transformation, resilience, and the timeless hope that harmony can be renewed, time and time again.”
At the heart of the event is a spirit of participation and community. Ganapathy encourages viewers to participate, whether by singing, dancing or completing images and stringing the stories together through their own imagination.
“As the event grows in popularity over the years, it has been seen as a great venue to showcase artistic talents, and many artists have reached out this year to perform,” added Ganapathy. “We have local as well as out-of-state talent from as far away as Canada. We also have a dedicated ‘Kolam committee’ who come together to draw beautiful geometric forms called kolams at the entrance to the arts center.”
The event also serves as a fundraiser supporting West Windsor Arts’ cultural programs. A $10 registration fee helps cover event expenses, and additional donations support programming throughout the year.
West Windsor Arts is at 952 Alexander Road in West Windsor Township. For more information, call (609) 716-1931 or visit westwindsorarts.org.